1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an automatic cycle pedal with multiple engagement surfaces.
2. Description of the Related Art
The idea of “automatic” is connected to the fact that the shoe carries an engagement member or retaining wedge in the form of a plate fixed below the shoe sole and adapted to engage a hands-free securement by quite simply pressing this wedge against retaining means provided on the pedal. These latter are connected to a pedal body mounted rotatably on a pedal axle adapted to be connected to a pedal crank. They generally comprise a front fixed member for engagement with the wedge and a rear movable retaining member which can be resiliently swung between a position for releasing the wedge and a position for retaining this latter against an engagement surface on the body of the pedal.
Pedals of this type differ from each other essentially by the use of automatic retaining means used to connect the wedge to the pedal body.
There are known such pedals with double face engagement, in which the retaining means are duplicated on two diametrically opposed engagement surfaces on opposite sides of the pedal body.
There is also known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,885, an automatic pedal provided with quadruple engagement surfaces, which is to say four engagement surfaces at 90° to each other. The retaining means of a wedge fixed below the cyclist's shoe sole comprises, according to this patent, a pair of arches secured to the pedal body and mounted diametrically opposed on opposite sides of this latter, as well as a pair of arches mounted pivotally between the fixed arches, on opposite sides of the pedal body. The pivoting arches are connected rigidly to each other and are mounted rotatably about the pedal axle whilst being urged toward a retaining position for the wedge by resilient return means in the form of a helicoidal spring threaded over a sleeve on the pedal body extending about the axle of the pedal.
This pedal thus has four engagement surfaces for the wedge on the body of the pedal, each engagement surface being defined between a pivoting arch and a fixed arch. The wedge can thus be emplaced on such an engagement surface during an engagement phase by angularly separating a pivoting arch from an adjacent fixed arch located in front of or behind the pivoting arch. The wedge can then be freed from the engagement plane by a rotational movement of the shoe during a disengagement phase of the wedge. This technique is well known in this field and will not be described in greater detail.
However, the pedal according to U.S. Pat. No. 6,205,885 has a certain number of drawbacks, among them:                the amplitude of relative angular movement of the fixed and pivoting arches is great during engagement and release of the wedge and corresponds to a value of about 30°, which renders the engagement and disengagement operations complicated;        the pivoting arches are arranged so as to rotate about the pedal axle, they are rigidly connected to each other and have between them a bore; because the pivoting arches are disposed within the fixed arches of the pedal body, it is necessary to provide the sleeve mentioned above to support the bearings, which complicates the assembly;        the helicoidal return spring also requires the passage of the pedal axle through its center, which further complicates the assembly;        the relative position of the fixed and pivoting arches relies on the geometry and characteristics of the helicoidal return spring; and the manufacturing tolerances of this latter do not always permit ensuring a correct symmetrical spacing between the fixed and movable arches, which can alter the operation;        because of the large number of rotatable members, the pedal body with its pair of fixed arches has shapes that are complicated and difficult to use, the more so as it is constituted of a very resistance material to withstand the repeated forces and wear, and it is for this reason difficult to machine.        